Moving from marketing to pharmacy isn’t an obvious career path. Kemi Mafo has made it happen within six months, thanks to a new training academy at ESNEFT.
Kemi was working as an online customer service agent at a marketing company in Colchester, but she wanted a complete career change.
When she saw an advert for East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust’s (ESNEFT) Community Diagnostics Training Academy, she decided to apply.
Kemi Mafo
Kemi said: “I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to get a general overview of working in the NHS. At the same time, I could work towards getting a role in technical services at the Pharmacy department.”
The academy offers people the opportunity of training, predominantly within the areas of care dealing with diagnosing conditions. These include heart monitoring in cardiorespiratory, and bowel screening and x-rays within medical imaging. Trainees are guaranteed a job interview within ESNEFT.
There are also opportunities in non-clinical areas such as clerical work. Part of the training involves rotational placements across the Trust’s hospitals.
Kemi applied last summer and was successful in securing a place.
She added: “I started off my training by attending a one-week masterclass then I had to do online e-learning. Then I had placements for about five weeks, at Colchester Hospital and Clacton Hospital.
“I was in the pathology and phlebotomy department to observe how bloods were taken from patients. I also had a laboratory tour to see how the pathology laboratory functions.”
Kemi also had placements in medical imaging, and the cardiorespiratory department. She observed echo cardiograms and lung function tests.
Very early into the training, she applied for a role as a senior pharmacy assistant, and was successful. She started in the role in October last year. She’s already moved up to the position of pharmacy quality control officer, at the beginning of this year.
She added: “I’m a happier and more fulfilled person now because I’m able to actively contribute to a collective aim at work.
“I would say to anyone who has a passion to work and help people improve or maintain their health to try and get into the academy as you get supported all the way.”
Pride Mukungurutse, Pathways to Diagnostics practice placement manager
Pride Mukungurutse, Pathways to Diagnostics practice placement manager, has helped Kemi throughout her journey on the training academy.
She said: “Kemi has worked so hard. She used every opportunity available through the training academy. She is a great example of how you can retrain and develop your career in the NHS.”
The programme was funded through the government. It is run in partnership with Colchester Institute.
Gary Horne, deputy chief executive at Colchester Institute, said: “We were delighted to partner with ESNEFT to deliver this highly successful training and recruitment programme. The programme will help increase the Trust’s capacity to deliver more local diagnostic services. We are now working together on follow-on programmes to support recruitment to other local health services”
The academy has now launched across the Ipswich area too.
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